Bob Dylan on Friday will play a record sixth time at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, and his shows at the storied Lehigh University venue have been both great and greatly disappointing – though more of the former than the latter.

His first show, in 1981, was sold out and came as he was reintroducing his classic songs into his set after three years of playing only material from his “born again” albums. He even sang “Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35” – extremely rare in those days – and “Happy Birthday” to his friend Howard Alk.

His second show, in 1995, with Patti Smith, Dylan played more than two hours and did the ultra-rare “Dark Eyes” – in a duet with Smith, no less – and “Rainy day Women” again. In 1999, he brought along Natalie Merchant, again sold out the place, and pulled out “To Ramona.”

His 2000 show was – as the reviewer put it – “Surprisingly free of surprises” – and in 2004 he was both “bizarre and brilliant,” granting a request for “Honest With Me,” but sabotaging “Girl From The North Country.”

So a Dylan show at Stabler might be a bit of a chance. But here are five reasons to take that chance:

5. He’s Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan is an icon. He wrote songs that have been the soundtracks of generations: “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’ ” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” Even if he doesn’t put on a great show when you see him, he’s Bob Dylan. Who believes The Rolling Stones are anywhere near what they once were? But if they tour, I’m there. That holds even more true for Dylan. And after his heart scare a few years back, at 69, he won’t be around forever.

4. He’s got a new retrospective out: Dylan’s never been one to pay attention in his set lists to his most recent records, but last month he released “The Bootleg Series Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos” and “The Original Mono Recordings,” the remasters of his first eight albums. With songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” and other gems back in the public eye, just the possibility he’ll play them – or something really crazy, like “Tomorrow is a Long Time,” is worth trekking out to Stabler.

3. Charlie Sexton is playing guitar with him again: In the mid-1980s, blues-rock guitarist Charlie Sexton was a revered prodigy who learned from Joe Ely and Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan. When he was just 16, his debut full-length album, “Pictures for Pleasure,” had the Top 20 single “Beat's So Lonely.” Sexton played with Dylan before, 1999-2002, in what has been described as one of Dylan’s best backing bands ever. Sexton rejoined Dylan in October 2009. It’s worth going to the show just to see him.

2. There are good moments in every Dylan show: When Dylan played Allentown’s Coca-Cola Park in July 2009, it wasn’t a great show, but there were flashes of greatness: "Like a Rolling Stone," was masterful, turned from a spiteful rant into mournful rumination. And the closer, "All Along The Watchtower," showed that even when Dylan is careless with a masterpiece, it's still a masterpiece.

1. He’s still capable of great shows: It may be a fool’s game, but I’m still chasing a great Dylan show. I gave up on Dylan him before, after seeing him sleepwalk through a rote show at Tower Theater in Upper Darby in 1992. Then came the 1995 show at Stabler, my favorite of the nine times I’ve seen Dylan. There are fewer of those these days, but you read and hear about times he’s really on, and I’m not willing to miss a show to possibly miss one of those times.

I believe there were two Tower Theater shows in 1992. One was indeed horrendous and the other as if he interrupted recording "Blonde on Blonde" to play. It was after that show I briefly met Dylan as his minivan left the theater.

Posted By: david sandler | Nov 9, 2010 4:21:48 AM

Funny but the 2004 version of Girl from the North Country was the highlight of the show for me. It was awesome, and I go back to that version of the song constantly.

The interplay of Larry Cambel and Charley Sexton perfect. The metronome like introduction was classic.

Bob Dylan is very inspirational. He rocks the house when he is on his game. Any lehigh students out there wanna buy me the discounted tickets ?

Posted By: Big Daddy | Nov 10, 2010 2:37:41 PM

As stated correctly in the article, Charlie's
previous tour with Bob was 1999-2002. The 2004
show at Stabler featured Stu on lead, and Larry
Campbell. This was shortly before Denny joined
on lead; and after Freddy left. I also heard
Stu on his second show with the band (immediately
after replacing Freddy) in Atlantic City, in the
spring of 2004.

For the record, the 1999 show was just before
Charlie joined, with Larry on lead and Bucky
Baxter. The Stabler show in 1995 was my first
(with tickets a present from my son), a great
show, with JJ on lead and Bucky.

(recollections supported by Olaf's files)

Posted By: bd67 | Nov 10, 2010 10:06:32 PM

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JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.

KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother’s Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid’s performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.

STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.